Lil' Indian Cherry Blossom
by Sapphire Midnight
Summary: Sakura and everyone is an indian, yet Syaoran and her are from tribes that no longer get along! When things get rough, the tribe captures one of the other's people until they get what they ask for. Sakura gets captured for the up-teenth time, but this tim
1. Captured

Hi peeps! This is a new story that I thought I would start to type. I do not know how much I will get done and I do not know when I will post it, but oh well. '-_- *sigh* I hope that you all like this. It might be a little slow at the beginning, or a little fast, who knows. There is A LOT of info in the first chap so read kind of carefully. I hope everyone had a good Easter!  
  
  
  
Lil' Indian Cherry Blossom  
  
  
  
*****Sakura*****  
  
Once again, my walk through the forest was more than I bargained for. My moccasin shoes padded along softly on the dry earth. I was humming a tune that my mother taught me a long time ago. That was before she died though. My mother, the chief's wife of the Kinomoto Tribe, died of a deadly fever when I was three years old. We later found out that Chang, the chief of the Li Tribe, died of the very same fever just a few days after.  
  
The Li tribe and the Kinomoto tribe didn't get along very well after that for some very strange reason. I never knew why, or what happened, but something in the past must have happened to cause us to drift so far apart. Both chiefs and their wives got along ten years ago… so why didn't they now? What was that deep dark secret that was buried in the past?  
  
If I hadn't had so much on my mind then I might have seen this coming. If I hadn't been humming the Kinomoto tribe's song then THEY might not have known that I was coming. I may have been able to walk by unnoticed. When I heard the all-famous wolf cry that the Li tribe made when about ready to attack, I froze. Why had I decided to wonder around all by myself?  
  
"Capture her!" Came the lead warrior's voice.  
  
I turned in circles, wide-eyed as I was surrounded by seven full-grown men of the Li tribe. They all had black war paint on their faces, and anger in their eyes. I backed up a step, then another. My village was more than five miles away, and I was in the thick of the woods. No one would be able to hear me as I shouted for help.  
  
"Daaaaaaaaaad!" I yelled, regretting that I had come all this way. I backed up into one of the warriors and he held a hand tightly over my mouth. I tried kicking but another person grabbed both of my legs. They lifted me up and started to carry me away. I twisted this way and that, but they still held on. I finally stopped struggling, tears forming in the edges of my eyes. How come I was the one to always get caught?  
  
We arrived at the Li tribe's after we exited the forest, crossed the river, and went down into the valley. I have been here before many times, all of them the exact same way. They capture me, the Chief's youngest child and daughter of the Kinomoto tribe, and get something in exchange. Usually it was how we would settle or solve disputes.  
  
When the warriors passed other tents that belonged to the Li tribe, the people would come out and snigger, pointing at me. I glared at them, my throat tight and my eyes burning. They had no love or kindness in those dark, hateful hearts of theirs. No happiness or joy what-so-ever.  
  
The warriors brought me to the middle tent that I learned by now was the chief's tent. Chief Ling came out of the tent flap and stood up straight and proud. A smirk crossed his face when he saw me. The men set me roughly on the ground in a kneeling position, holding my arms tightly behind my back. I looked up at the Chief through my bangs, glaring. His eyes were full of contempt.  
  
"Well, little flower, it looks as if we have captured you once again. Are you ALWAYS this careless?" Chief Ling asked, crossing his arms over his chest and holding his head high.  
  
"We? Who's we? YOU didn't do anything! YOU don't like getting your hands dirty! My brother…"  
  
"Your brother is a pain in my rear end!" He snarled. [An: sorry, it's rated PG]  
  
That shut me up, but not for long. "That's because you could never live up to him! My BROTHER is always the one to capture…"  
  
"Enough! You are more trouble than you are worth! I don't know WHY they ever want you back!"  
  
That stung. My lips started trembling, and my eyes filled with tears. I wouldn't let HIM get the best of me! Not EVER!  
  
"Maybe they won't want me back! Maybe you wasted all of your precious time! Maybe…"  
  
I was answered by that with a slap across the face. I wasn't very surprised, but I WAS angry! 'Who does he think he is?!?'  
  
"Tie her up in the prisoners tent! She will not be eating tonight. Make sure Little Wolf guards her well."  
  
I was dragged to a small tent about a hundred feet away from the chief's tent. They bound my hands and feet and then tied me to a totem pole. I leaned my head back against the pole and closed my eyes. I heard the warriors leave, but still didn't open my eyes. Tonight was going to be a VERY long night.  
  
I dozed off for what seemed like only a few moments, but must have been a few hours because I awoke with a start when I heard a loud clatter. The tent flap was halfway open and I saw the darkened sky of twilight. A silhouette was closing the tent flap, the person's back to me. I wouldn't have been able to see who it was anyway because of the darkness, unless they were really close to my face. I vaugly saw the figure turn around. I was sitting on the ground so I couldn't really tell how tall the person was, therefore, I couldn't tell how old they were.  
  
I realized that I fell asleep on my knees, and that my entire leg was tingling. [AN: Have you ever done that before? I have! It is NOT fun. You don't know whether to laugh or want to rip your leg off! It's horrible!] I struggled for a second, trying to get my legs out from under me. When I was finally sitting cross-legged I sighed with relief.  
  
The person that was moving around in the tent froze. Then a quiet voice filled the tent.  
  
"Sorry if I woke you." It came out just above a whisper.  
  
"It's alright," I said softly, trying to figure out who else was in the tent. It was a masculine voice, and it sounded familiar. [An: Anyone got a guess? ^-^]  
  
He came over and knelt down in front of me. I saw dark messy hair and light, honey-brown eyes. Syaoran. [AN: OF COURSE! ^-^ Who else?] I looked down and saw that he was carrying a little woven basket of berries. He must have followed my gaze because the next thing he said was, "I thought you might be hungry."  
  
I looked up at him gratefully, and smiled. "Thank you, but… won't you get in trouble if they found out you were helping me?" I asked, meaning his tribe.  
  
He scowled. "Fine. I just thought that you were hungry." He started to stand up.  
  
"No. Wait!" I said, trying to reach out to stop him. I sighed when my hand wouldn't move because it was tied behind my back. Just then my stomach growled and I sweat dropped.  
  
He stopped trying to stand back up and let out a soft, low laugh. It was bitter, but it was a laugh none-the-less. "I take it you ARE hungry?"  
  
I nodded my head in defeat. He sat down across from me and put the basket between us. We sat there in silence for a little bit, unmoving. Then I realized that my hands were still tied behind my back and I hung my head.  
  
"I guess I'm not so hungry after all," I said dryly. My stomach suggested otherwise with another loud grumble.  
  
"I- I can… feed you the b-b-berries," Syaoran said in a quiet voice, not making eyecontact with me. "I-It'll be easier to eat."  
  
I blushed, not knowing why. "Th-thank you."  
  
Syaoran was hand feeding me black berries. I felt incredibly stupid, but after a while I loosened up and started a conversation.  
  
"How long will it be this time?" I asked after swallowing another black berry.  
  
"I don't know. It shouldn't be as long as the other time though. That was when you were here for a week. I'd say… two or three days."  
  
I nodded my head. That sounded reasonable. "What do they want?" I asked. "Last time they wanted more of the river for fishing. What is it this time?"  
  
Syaoran's face was grim. "It's more of what LING wants."  
  
"Ling?" I asked. "Why don't you call him father? Or at least Chief Ling?"  
  
He looked at me with disbelief in his eyes. "You don't get it because when your dad married, that person didn't become chief and have practically total control over the tribe. The day I call him father is the day I marry Meiling, and believe me, I'm not EVER going to marry Meiling! Not to be mean to HER… but to be mean to that so-called CHIEF!"  
  
I raised my eyebrows. "You dislike him that much?" I knew that I hated his guts… but his own PEOPLE hated him?!?  
  
"You have NO idea. You don't know the real him. You only see him on his good days where he doesn't want to rule the entire planet. Believe me, if you knew the real him, you wouldn't be so careless and get caught all the time."  
  
"Me?!?" I exclaimed, turning red with embarrassment. "What about you? Touya ALWAYS captures you when asked, and only one time he came back with a scratch! YOU'RE the one who's careless! It's like you keep testing your limits, hoping one day you will outsmart him; or BEAT him! But I don't think THAT will ever happen."  
  
Now it was his turn to be embarrassed. "Well, al least I TRY to protect myself. YOU don't even put up a fight! You give in too easily! One day you are going to wish you knew. One day."  
  
I gritted my teeth and looked away. He didn't even know what he was talking about. "Anyway," I said, going back to the original subject, "If you hate Ling so much then why don't you tell someone? Your mother is the true leader of the tribe. Tell her! Get a new chief!"  
  
"It's not that easy you know," he said. "He… deserves his spot as chief. If not mentally, then physically. When my father died, all the eligible men from our tribe fought over who would become the chief. The first people that got an open cut and shed blood were automatically out. Then the last three men fought to their death. I didn't particularly like any of them, but Ling was the one I mostly disliked. My mother doesn't really either, but she didn't have any say in any of this."  
  
"That's horrible!" I said, thoroughly disgusted. I couldn't believe it! But… I had to. As much as I didn't want to, I knew that Syaoran was telling the truth.  
  
"He finished the last two off with magic. We didn't even know he possessed magic! Some people say that he cheated… or at least, they think it. They wouldn't DARE say it to his face! But… my mother has magic, and my father USED to have magic, so no one said anything and Ling became chief."  
  
"I bet YOU were mad," I said, imagining perfectly what a little Syaoran would be doing when he found out.  
  
"You have NO idea," he said, grinning wryly. "Lets just say that I avoided him and he avoided me as I got older. If we accidentally came face to face then I had a LOT to say to him. It was NOT a pretty sight. It was mainly verbal though. We wouldn't go as far as landing a kick or punch. Besides, others were always watching."  
  
I sat there thinking this over. "That's not how we do things in my tribe. Sometimes we have arranged marriages, or your parents decide who your going to marry, but that is about it. The guy has to ask permission from the girl's parents. Sometimes the girl doesn't know about it, other times she does. There are a lot of happy and unhappy marriages. It all depends."  
  
Syaoran nodded his head, understanding. "Either way, both of our ways stink."  
  
"I couldn't agree more."  
  
"Are you still hungry?" he asked.  
  
"No. I'm fine. Thank you though."  
  
Syaoran pushed the basket to the side. I could tell he was thinking about something… but what? His eyes didn't seem to reveal anything, then suddenly they softened and he almost laughed. I looked at him, confused.  
  
"What is it?" I asked. When he didn't answer I asked more firmly, "What?!?"  
  
"How old are you?"  
  
This question took me by surprise. Thirteen. Why?"  
  
"I just remembered the first time you were brought here, when you were captured. It was… ten years ago. You were three, going on four." His eyes held laughter in them. I glared at him, daring him to say his next few words. He took the dare. "You were so SCARED! You cried practically the WHOLE time! It seemed like you thought we were going to cook you up and eat you for dinner!" Now he was laughing, probably more at my made face than at the memory. Then I was taken aback. I had never seen Syaoran laugh in his whole entire life! This was new, and very surprising.  
  
"Oh yeah! Well… I remember when WE captured YOU! You just turned four and you were screaming and yelling and putting up a huge fuss!"  
  
"No, I didn't just turn four, I just turned three. That wasn't when you captured me either. That was when we still didn't do that sort of thing. The only way I stopped screaming was because of your… was because of your mom," he said quietly.  
  
"I remember now. That was when my mother sang to us. We were both sitting on her lap and YOU were hogging all of the room!"  
  
"I was only on one leg! YOU were on the other and you kept trying to push me off!"  
  
"I did not! I NEVER pushed ANYONE! I was enjoying the song way too much to even notice!"  
  
"So was I," he countered.  
  
"Whatever," I said. Looking the other way so he wouldn't see the tears that threatened. I whimpered and held my breath. I did NOT want him to know that I was crying.  
  
Then I felt his arms around me and I automatically stiffened. I was shaking, trying to hold it in but I couldn't hold it any longer. I broke down and rested my head on his shoulder, relaxing, and glad for the comfort.  
  
"I'm sorry," He said at last. "I shouldn't have said anything. I'm so sorry."  
  
I sobbed uncontrolably, getting his shirt soaking wet. " I miss her so much," I was finally able to choke out.  
  
"I know what you mean. I miss my father more than anything in the entire world."  
  
"Somethimes I wonder if it wouldn't be this way," I said softly. "If both tribes would get along." I pulled back, out of Syaoran's embrace. Or, at least as far back as I could go until I was against the totem pole. "Do you think our tribes would get along then?"  
  
"I don't know. I don't know what caused us to act this way. It's influencing everyone in a bad way."  
  
"You don't hate us… do you Syaoran?" I asked.  
  
He looked at me and I couldn't read the expression on his face. He was silent for so long that I didn't think he was going to answer. "I don't know. I don't know what to believe."  
  
I blinked, that hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt like I would shatter any moment into a million pieces. How could he say something like that? We were friends! Weren't we?  
  
He stood up, grabbed the fruit basket, and strode over to the tent flap. "I will see you in the morning." With that, he ducked out into the star-lit sky, and then the flap swished closed behind him. I was all alone inside the tent. All alone. [AN: Allll byyyy myyyyyysellllffff!!!!! DON'T WANNA BE… Alllll byyyyyy myyyyyselllffff!!! ^-^ Couldn't help it. JadeWing got that song stuck inside my head because she was singing it ALL DAY LONG at school! '-_- Sorry about that.]  
  
Why does Syaoran always have to be so tough? Was there something the Kinomoto tribe did a long time ago to make both tribes drift apart? Does he know about the past? WHAT AM I MISSING HERE?!?  
  
I sighed. I DID remember when I was first captured. I WAS scared. But what did that have to do about anything?  
  
  
  
~*Flashback*~  
  
I was walking along the river, trying to balance on the rocks at the water's egde. I was three years old, my mother had passed away about six months ago. Then I heard a weird sound. It sounded like a wild animal! I almost lost my balance and fell into the raging river. Then a bunch of men surrounded me and one of them scooped me up and swung me over his shoulder. I cried and cried the whole time they carried me to where ever it was we were going, which happened to be the Li tribe's camp area.  
  
They tied me up and put me in a dark tent. I was all alone and I continued to cry. I didn't know if I would ever see my daddy or big brother again.  
  
Then a little boy walked in. He made a face and covered his ears when my screaming got too loud. I looked up at him, frightened. Then something looked familiar and I stopped crying, sniffing a little here and there. "Who are you?" I sniveled.  
  
He uncovered his ears and I had to repeat my question.  
  
"I'm Syaoran. Also called Little Wolf. Who are you?" He was glaring at me, making me feel very uncomfortable. Syaoran… I knew that name.  
  
"I'm Sakura, also known as Cherry Blossom. Are you the boy that used too sit on my mommies lap with me when she used to sing?"  
  
He looked at me with surprise, but quickly erased all trace of it off of his face. "Yes. That was me."  
  
Ever since then I hadn't been that scared. Chief Ling and his wife Yelan came into the tent and saw us sitting together, talking. Chief Ling was furious, but Yelan just cave a little smile.  
  
"You are your mother's child," she said, gazing into my eyes. I swallowed. I missed my mother. She was gone for almost a year now. Daddy said that she died and went to a better place. I wished that I was with her.  
  
"Get Syaoran out of here! This CHERRY BLOSSOM is messing with his mind!" Chief Ling yelled through gritted teeth.  
  
"She's not hurting him," Yelan said. "He quietened her. Look, she is no longer crying. I think that my Little Wolf should guard her from now on. It won't hurt anything." She turned and smiled at Syaoran and then me, then back at Syaoran once more.  
  
"Yes. Syaoran will prove his loyalty to us by doing this. This will be his job from now on." With that said, he marched out of the tent.  
  
Yelan sighed and shook her head. "Do not worry Little Wolf. He won't get the best of me!" She said, fire in her eyes. Then they softened and she looked at me once again. "I have a feeling that you two will become very close friends. Get to know eachother and see." Then she too, walked out of the tent, leaving Syaoran and I to sit and ponder what just happened.  
  
~*End Of Flashback*~  
  
'Were Syaoran and I close friends? Were we friends at all? I guess I'll have to wait and see. I don't think that I'll be going anywhere anytime soon.'  
  
I sighed and then tried to get comfortable. Eventually I fell asleep, dreaming of the mother I rarely ever saw. What would she do if she were in my situation? What would she do if I knew she ALSO had magic, just like Yelan and Ling? What would she do… if she knew that I knew? Yes; because I have magic too.  
  
Dun dun dun!!!!!!! Soooooooooooo……do you like it?!?!?!?!?!?!? PPPLLLEEEAAASSSSEEE tell me if you do or don't! FLAMES ARE WELCOME!!! I know you all want me to write to my other stories too, but I HAD to put this first chapter out there. Tell me which story you want me to write to. I'll start the next chapter to Melting A Stone Heart right now. Please don't be TOO mad! ^-^ heh heh. '-_- Well, I really do hope that you liked this. Tell me what you thought! Thank you!!!!!!!!!! ^___^ 


	2. Finally Friends

HHIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!! I'm SO happy!!!! I got e-mails of people wanting me to up-date! I think that that is SO AWSOME!!!!!!!! Thank you so much EVERYONE!!!!! You are all so COOOOL!!!!!! I didn't know if you guys would like this or not but from now on I would like to try to up-date as soon as possible. If you like this story so much, then please read my Melting A Stone Heart story. It may have a LOT of chapters, but they aren't too terribly long. Well, thank you for the reviews!!!!! You're all THE BEST EVER!!!!!  
  
People I would like to thank:  
  
Bil: thank you for liking the idea! ^-^  
  
Kung Fu Kandy: Thank you for thinking that fruit at the bottom of the page(which I now deleted) was indeed a fruit at the bottom of the page! ^-^ You're too kind!  
  
Enchanted Sapphire: Thank you so much! I'm glad that you love it!  
  
Windy*wings: Thanks! For everything! You're too kind! I'm glad you like the story so much!  
  
Little Blossom: ^-^ Thank you for ready so many of my stories! You're awesome!!!!!  
  
Wild Mage: I'm REALLY glad that you read this! I'll write to my other stories too, don't worry! ^-^ And you need to write too missy!!!!! No more stopping before you finish your sentences!!!!! `-_-  
  
UnicornHime: I'm glad you like it! I had this idea for a while now and I really like it because I haven't seen anything else like it! It's neat that you like it so much also!!! ^-^  
  
Hikari: ^-^ You don't have to read the other story if you don't want to! Hee hee! I'm just glad that you are reading this one and that you like it!  
  
Silver-Cherry: ^-^ Thank you for the awesome review! I'm glad you like it! You're too kind!  
  
Blazing-moon: Thank you SO much! I'm glad you and everyone else likes it! When I saw that other persons review I was SO SAD!!!! Your review lifted my spirit! ^-^  
  
Shazza: Thank you SO much! YOU are the one who ROCKS!!!!! ^-^  
  
Lysaka: Thank you SO much for reviewing! And thank you for the e-mail explaining newsies! You are too kind! ^-^  
  
THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!!! ARE ALL THE BEST IN THE WEST! (that is where I live anyway. `-_- If you don't, YOU'RE STILL THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) eh heh, heh. Yeah, well, um, I think I'll get started now. Yeah. Sounds good. Um hum!  
  
I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS! THEY BELONG TO CCS AND CLAMP!!!!!!!!  
  
  
  
1 Chapter Two Lil' Indian Cherry Blossom  
  
  
  
*****Sakura*****  
  
'Were Syaoran and I close friends? Were we friends at all? I guess I'll have to wait and see. I don't think that I'll be going anywhere anytime soon.'  
  
I sighed and then tried to get comfortable. Eventually I fell asleep, dreaming of the mother I rarely ever saw. What would she do if she were in my situation? What would she do if I knew she ALSO had magic, just like Yelan and Ling? What would she do… if she knew that I knew? Yes; because I have magic too.  
  
I woke up with a heavy heart and a back-ache. I slept hunched over all night. That was probably why. Well, one thing was for sure, I was definitely NOT sleepy! I slept practically all night long. I wish I had something to do.  
  
The tent flap opened and light streamed into the whole area. I squinted, trying to adjust. The person tied one half of the tent flap to the side so I would actually be able to see. He turned around and I realized that it was Syaoran. He had a little clay bowl in his hand filled with watered down soup. He set it in front of me and then pulled out an ear of corn from a little sack he brought in with him.  
  
"The soup tastes better then it looks, believe me," he said, kneeling down next to me once again. "There are vegetables and venison in it. We eat it all the time."  
  
"Your tribe always seems to eat meat. You also have many warriors. Your people are very different from the Kinomoto tribe. We believe in peace and happiness."  
  
Syaoran nodded his head. "I know. That is one of the many reasons our people do not get along."  
  
I sighed. "Well, thank you. You are trying to help me. I don't want you getting into trouble on my behalf though," I said, nodding over to the ear of corn.  
  
"I won't get caught."  
  
I shrugged, then realized that I wouldn't be able to eat by myself. "Wouldn't it be easier just to untie me?" I asked. His arms folded tightly over his chest and he raised an eyebrow. "I mean, at least one arm. I should be able to feed myself. It's not like I will be able to escape or anything." When he didn't say anything I added, "Besides, you always mention how careless I am. Even if I did get free-which I won't- you or your warriors would be able to catch me in no time."  
  
With that said, ne grimly nodded his head and freed my right arm. I sighed with relief. I had been uncomfortable before. I rolled my shoulder around in circles, trying to ease the stiffness. I picked up the spoon and fed myself as carefully as I could, trying not to spill.  
  
"You never did answer my question," I said when half the bowl of soup was gone.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"What do they want? What does LING want?" [AN: I got 'Ling' from 'Ping' in Mulan! Kewl, huh? All I had to do was change the first letter! ^-^ Eh, heh. `-_-]  
  
"Oh. The reason why you're here," he said, remembering. "Ling wants to change the border line. He wants to push the border line to the beginning of the forest so we have more room to hunt."  
  
"That far!" I exclaimed. "We'll barely have ANY of the forest! What's he trying to do? Starve us?!?" I yelped.  
  
Syaoran squinted when I hit a high note. I kept quiet and looked down to my lap, I was still incredibly angry though.  
  
Syaoran sighed. I could tell he was getting bored with all the things Ling wanted. "He's going power hungry. Either that or crazy. It'll never last."  
  
I gave a rueful grin. "Well, I guess my good-bye won't last for very long."  
  
He gave the same menacing smile back. "Yeah, but this time I will be the unwelcome guest. Unless you go carelessly wondering off again."  
  
"Believe me, you will be most welcome if we will get our land back. As for my carelessness," I winced, "I will be getting an earful from my brother. He won't allow me to do ANYTHING by myself!"  
  
We sat in silence as I finished my breakfast. I was regretting to see my brother, but only because I knew he would be mad at me and would yell at me. I was also incredibly bored. There was nothing to do but sit there. Even that was boring. I stifled a yawn and hunched over, trying to move even the slightest bit.  
  
"Tired?" Syaoran asked, assuming I didn't get any sleep last night.  
  
"Ya right!" I exclaimed. "All I did since I got here was sleep basically! I want to move! Get up. My legs are asleep! It…hee hee hee…tick…les."  
  
Syaoran raised an eyebrow, but decided not to comment. I knew he couldn't untie me. Even the fact that I had one arm loose was enough to get him in trouble. I didn't want anything bad to happen to him on my accord. I've heard that if you do something that is against the rules or if you're a traitor than you could get whipped, seriously injured, exiled, and even put to death! Not that anything Syaoran did was close to getting one of those punishments, but still! I didn't want him to get hurt!  
  
"Well, maybe I could talk to my mom and get permission to… show you around the place. You've only seen the front entrance, and believe me, there is much more than meets the eye."  
  
I stared up at Syaoran, appalled. "You'd do that? For me?"  
  
He gave me the tiniest grin that I could hardly see the upwards curve of his mouth, and then it was gone. "We are friends, aren't we?"  
  
I could have thrown my arms around him I was so happy! "Oh, Syaoran! Thank you!"  
  
For some odd reason he turned scarlet red. I looked at him, tilting my head from side to side. Are you feeling alright?" I asked finally.  
  
He quickly turned his head to the side and looked at the floor. "I'm fine," he said, glowering.  
  
"What ever you say, Syaoran."  
  
I remembered when we first called each other by our first names. It wasn't until last year, actually. It was still as plain as day. That memory I would never forget.  
  
  
  
~ ~ ~ FLASHBACK~ ~ ~  
  
I knew that there was a Clow Card near by. There had to be. I could sense it! I made my way through the forest, it was almost twilight. I had to capture this card fast! Before Touya knew that I was gone! That meant that I really didn't have any time what-so-ever.  
  
"Psst!"  
  
I gasped and spun around. "W-who's there?" I asked. I had been venturing toward the Li Tribe little by little, hoping they wouldn't see me. I didn't think I was that close though!  
  
"Kinomoto, it's me!" came the hurried yet whispered explanation.  
  
"Li?" I asked, taking a step forward. Than I saw him in the brush. He slowly stood up. "You sense it too?"  
  
He grimly nodded his head. "It's coming from that way," he said, pointing.  
  
I followed his finger and right as that happened I saw a little creature- like thing come running from the bushes. It stopped in a little opening and saw us. It stopped, got up on its hind feet, and sniffed the air a couple of times.  
  
"There it is!" Li yelled.  
  
He scared it and it bolted, running in the opposite direction. I stared after it. "Wow! That thing's fast!"  
  
"It's dash," Li said as he pulled out his sword.  
  
"Li! Stop!" I shouted when I realized what he was about to do. Too late. [AN: I'm changing this around, so please don't be mad!]  
  
"Lightning!" he yelled, finishing his incantation.  
  
A lightning bolt steamed straight at dash, but missed at the last moment. "Li!" I shouted. He wasn't listening. I ran as fast as I could in dash's direction. It was easier for me because I didn't have to keep evading lightning bolts. I ran up to the creature and stopped in front of it, holding up both of my hands, blocking the lightning bolt for the Clow Card, yet wincing, waiting for the impact. I knew it would hurt.  
  
"SAKURA!!!" He yelled, as lightning bolted it's way over to me. I shut my eyes tighter, hoping it wouldn't hurt too terribly. "Shield!"  
  
A little bubble wound around me and Dash, the lightning bouncing off of it. I slowly opened my eyes, realizing what must have happened. I saw Dash looking around at the shield, and then at me. I knelt down on the ground and held my arms out to Dash. "It's okay," I said soothingly. "You don't have to worry."  
  
"Mew?" [AN: how do you write the sound that dash makes?!?]  
  
"Come here. I won't hurt you. Please?"  
  
Sakura still held her arms out to Dash, one and open and the other one holding the staff loosely. Dash jumped up at me, and I said my incantation and changed Dash into a card when she was only inches away from my staff. I looked at the card and in gently flowed into my hand. I smiled. The bubble around me disappeared and I ran over to Li, Syaoran.  
  
"I did it!" I yelled. But you weakened her first." Than I remembered the shield he had activated for me. "You… you helped me! And you… called me by my first name."  
  
"W-w-w-well, I-I w-w-was j-just, um, uhh…"  
  
I smiled. "I liked it." He automatically turned red for no apparent reason when I smiled. [AN: dense Sakura, don't you think?] "May I call you by your first name as well?"  
  
He turned even more red and looked away. "Whatever."  
  
I smiled again. "Great! Well, I better be going. I'll see you around…Syaoran!!!" [AN: Syaoran… let's just say he was as red as a ripe tomato! ^-^]  
  
~ ~ ~END OF FLASHBACK~ ~ ~  
  
I smiled to myself, remembering that capture. I guess Syaoran and I really are friends. At least… I hope so.  
  
I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT GETTING THIS OUT SOONER!!!!! I REALLY WOULD HAVE BUT I HAVE BEEN BUSY AND EVERYTHING!!!! SOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYY!!  
  
I also had to up-date to my Melting A Stone Heart story. If I didn't I would have been one dead duck! Don't ask. Well, I am REALLY REALLY sorry! I'll try to up-date the next chap as SOON as possible… if I get reviews that make me WANT to write more. ^-^ If you ever want me to e-mail you when I next up-date, then please tell me! Write it in the review EVERY TIME because that is where I look back to see if you want me to. I'm sorry this chap is so short. I'll try to make the next one longer! I LUV YA ALL!!!! ^- ^ 


	3. Venture Forth

Hey, peeps! How are ya? I'm hunky-dory! Actually, I am very bored. I have a TON of homework to do, kind of, and I REALLY do not want to do it. Ever happen to you? It's not fun is it? I'm alone right now too, and I am extremely bored. Heh heh, I already said that. Oops. Oh well. I hope I get this chapter out soon. Sorry if I don't. Ooh! I'm happy now! My friend is coming over later and my dad is going to get me a McFlurry (Butterfinger) from McDonald's! Yay! A cold treat!

Special thanks to…

Twos 

Kung Fu Kandy 

OpalDragon 

Sarri-chan 

KITTY SAGE 

Little Blossom 

chibicherry 

windy*wings 

silenthopechik 

Sakura Golden Wolf 

Blazing-moon 

sara 

Silver-Cherry

Thank you ALL SO MUCH! I am VERY happy that you like it! ^-^ I'll try to up-date more soon! Summer will be here soon, so I'll have more time then! Yay! Well, I better start typing! Hee hee hee! I am FINALLY in a good mood! My sister was being a pest yesterday and I was totally stressed out about homework today, but now I'm happy! Well, I think I'll type now. ^-^ Hee hee!

Disclaimer: I do not own the CCS characters, repeat, I do NOT own the CCS characters. They are owned by CLAMP. *tear*

Is THAT horrible or WHAT?!? I started this chap before SUMMER! Ack! How…how…how horrible! Well, hopfully my writing has improved! All I can say is… I AM SO VERY SORRY AND I HOPE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FIND IT IN YOUR HEARTS TO FORGIVE ME! Well, let me hurry up and type. You guys have been waiting long enough!

Lil' Indian Cherry Blossom Ch. 3

*****Syaoran*****

I left the tent that Sakura was staying in and made my way to my mother's. I felt bad for Sakura. I knew how she felt, and after a while it sort of gets on your nerves. We were always the ones that got captured, then returned, and then captured once again. It was useless. It didn't make any sense. Why didn't they just talk it out and get along? I'll tell you why. It's because of 'Chief Ling' and Chief Fujitaka's new wife. They argued over everything! 

Well, as long as Ling isn't in the tent I'll be fine and Sakura will actually be able to walk around and get some air. I have a bad feeling that something terrible is going to happen though. Something soon; that I won't be able to tell until the last moment. I hate that. I like knowing things before they happen so I can prepare, so I'll be ready. What will happen though? And when? 'Soon' isn't a good enough answer. The wind howls as if it knows a terrible dark secret and wails for the poor soul that is affected. It screams, deafening the ears, yet no one can comprehend the sorrowful moans. I'll have to wait. I know my mother can sense it too. Sakura would be able to if she could manifest her powers better. She's so careless. She always gets caught for petty reasons and doesn't know how serious these things are. It's like she doesn't have a care in the world! She's so irresponsible! She's so… so… so…

Wonderful. Why did she have to be so beautiful? So kind? It wasn't fair. A smile constantly graces her lips. When she looks at me… I feel calm, yet excited. I don't know what or how I feel, but the thoughts of her being careless keep rushing into my mind! She needs someone to be her strength when she needs help. She needs a protector. And for some odd reason… I want to be that protector.

I shook my head as if to quickly get that thought out of my head. Where did THAT load of crap come from?

Another part of my head insisted that it was nothing of the sort. It was my true heart-felt opinions of her.

HA! Like I had a heart! Everyone in my tribe insists that I don't! I don't need one! I'm fine the way I am!

But… no one likes me the way I am. My cousin despises me whenever I get mad at her for bugging me, Ling thinks I'm a pest, but I don't even BOTHER with his opinion because my opinion of him is most likely even LESS! 

The only friend I really have is Yamazaki, and all he does is tell lies all the time! There is Eriol, the DEVIL'S EVIL TWIN! I still don't know if he's a friend or some freaky… freak. He's…well…evil. Wanna know why I think that? Because he said that he thought Sakura was cute. CUTE! HE CAN'T THINK THAT! And then he goes and says I'm jealous! Ha! I don't even know what it means to be jealous! Sakura is MINE! He can't have her or even THINK about taking her away from me! I'll rip out his insides and shove it in his face if he even goes NEAR her! See. I'm not jealous.

[An: I HAD to write that! It's so GREAT!]

The only person that halfway accepts who I am…is Sakura. She doesn't question me. She believes in me, in my power. I need her. Her POWER I mean. And… I need a friend. Who'll understand. She'd the only person who lost a person dear to her. Her mother, just as I had lost my father. What I still don't understand is how? Why? And was it a coincidence that their deaths were such a short time apart from the others? I still have questions, and she just might hold the answers. I just can't bring the subject up. It's like a wound, I don't want to pick at it or open it up because it will only hurt more. I also don't want to hurt Sakura by bringing back all of her memories.

"Syaoran?" 

My head snapped up, startled. "Huh? Mom?"

"Is there something you want son or are you going to just stand there with that forlorn look upon your face?"

I looked around, realizing that I was in her tent and by the looks of it, had been standing here for quite a long while. "Oh! Uh…yeah." Taking one more quick glance about the room I realized that Ling wasn't here and I sighed with relief. I walked closer to where my mother was kneeling, gazing into the sparkling ruby embers of the fire. "Would it be alright if I took Sakura around for a bit. This is the longest she'll have ever stayed, and she needs some air and room to stretch her legs. Would you mind?"

"Free the prisoner? You know what Ling would say. What he would do. Why request something like that?"

"Mom… you said yourself that she wasn't a prisoner, just an unwelcome visitor. She won't run. I know it. She's used to the routine."

She sighed and tore her gaze away from the fire and down to her lap. "You know, Little Wolf, it didn't used to be like this."

I sadly looked down at the earthen floor and decided to take a seat. It would take a while by the sound of her voice. "I know."

The Kinomoto's and us, we used to get along so well. We were at peace for many, many years. Nadeshiko and I were best friends when we were young. Did you know? She introduced me to your father."

"Dad?" I asked, wide-eyed.

She nodded solemnly. "Yes. I was older than her, but not by much. I adored you father, and fell in love with him the first time our eyes met. Back then we were free to practice our powers, and he noticed Nadeshiko and I playing with them one day, not to the best of our knowledge. He knew what could happen if we didn't get proper training, so he volunteered. He taught me everything I knew about my powers. He said that I was his best pupil. Nadeshiko would listen, but she thought it was all fun and games. We were so young then. She'd rather play, go on adventures, while I'd rather learn and spend time with the man I loved. So we drifted apart, each of us going our own ways. She wed the heir to the Kinomoto tribe, and I wed the heir to the Li tribe. Then, we finally met up one day and our friendship re-kindled. She had little Sakura bouncing on her lap, both of their emerald spheres laughing delightedly in the sunlight, and I was cradling you in my arms. We talked and caught up on things, and an idea formed in our heads. We decided that you and Sakura would be engaged to one another to ensure happiness and friendship for all time."

"WHAT?!?" I yelped as my eyes bulged. "Y-y-you never told me this!"

Yelan's eyes grew sad. "It was a long time ago. Both of us could feel that something horrible was going to happen. It was in the air all around us. We decided to have normal visits, but they were soon cancelled."

My brow knit together. "Why?"

"She died. And not far after that, my husband—your father—died. The engagement was cancelled, and our worlds fell apart. I remarried, Chief Fujitaka remarried, and all of our happiness drained away with the winter storm. Peace no longer bound our tribes together. Times were harsh, and our people needed what was for the best. We isolated ourselves, and then wound up fighting for resources. We became bitter enemies, their people hating ours, and ours hating theirs. Under it all though, I still believe that there may be hope. I do not think that Fujitaka hates us, and I suspect that he thinks the same about me."

"Mother, why are you telling me this?" I asked, thoroughly confused.

"Because… I need hope." She stared deeply into my eyes and I gulped. Why was she looking at me that way? "Go. Take Sakura and let her stretch her legs. If anyone asks, tell them Yelan sent you."

I quickly nodded my head and bound toward the door, hoping for an easy escape.

"The winds have come again, Little Wolf," she stated in that odd voice she gets while almost in a trance. "Take care of yourself, and others around you. Beware. Something is brewing, and I know not what."

That said, she turned her gaze beck to the fire and I bound away. Oh what an interesting day this was going to be! 

*****Sakura*****

I sat on the earthen floor, slumped against the stupid totem pole, almost positive I would get a headache if I stayed like this for much longer. I was saved when Syaoran entered the room once again, but was confused when I noticed the stupefied look on his face. Something was bothering him, and I didn't know what.

I was about to ask when he cut in first. "Come on. My mom said I could show you around."

As he started to untie me I gave him a questioning look. "Why did it take you so long? Did you have a run-in with Ling?"

By now my other arm and wrist was unbound so I massaged them together while he worked at my ankles. "No. My mother just wanted to…talk," he stated slowly, causing me to wonder if that was the truth and what his mother DID talk about if it was.

"Oh," I stated instead. When he was finally done with the last knot I shakily stood, dusting my deer-skin skirt off. "How is your mother? I haven't seen her since I was… what? Two?" I inquired, looking into his eyes as if to find the answer.

He hurriedly turned away. "You were three. It was when we went berry picking with my older sisters."

I sweat dropped. "Right. Now I remember. They were really picking on you weren't they?"

He gave me an I-cannot-believe-you look and raised his eyebrow. "They were picking on US." I stared, not understanding and then shrugged it off as he sighed exasperatedly. 

"Anyway, they were laughing and goofing around and pinching my cheek…it was a nightmare! They kept calling me 'adorable' and 'kawaii.' Are they always like that?"

He started towards the tent flap, calling over his shoulder, "Worse. Now lets get a move on. You want to stretch your legs, right?"

I rushed over to him, not wanting to get tied down to 'that darn stick' again. I'd rather die than sit and rot!

"So, where to?" I asked, already feeling the affect of all my saved up energy. I laughed, twirling in a circle and I reached out to the sun and the birds, calling to them to give me strength and happiness. Their songs were wonderful and full of love. I actually felt warm for what seemed like ages. I let my hands drop back down to my sides and turned to Syaoran, who was looking directly at me. I smiled. "Well?"

He shook his head and averted his gaze. "Well, horseback riding is out of the picture, but if you want to see Thunderbolt…"

"Ooh! Please?!? I haven't seen him for ages!" He nodded his head and we started in the direction for the tether and stable area where the horses were usually kept. "May I see IceStar too? I know she's Meiling's, but I HAVE to see her! We get along so well together!"

Syaoran looked at me doubtfully. "You and the horse, or you and Meiling?"

I pretended to glare at him and was about to speak when someone answered for me.

"The horse, dummy. Meiling doesn't get along with ANYONE!"

We turned. "Yamazaki!" Syaoran threatened. He gave his small senseless smile. "Don't DO that!"

"Well?" He companion indulged, "Aren't you going to introduce us to the wonderful Cherry Blossom? We never have met formally."

Syaoran glowered. "What's to introduce? Besides, you already know her."

"Tsk, tsk, Syaoran. Where are your manners?" A second boy with blue hair inquired. I giggled, not realizing the scowl deepen on Syaoran's face. Before anything was said, Yamazaki interrupted. 

"I am Yamazaki!" He practically howled, jumping between the other two and me. I flinched.

"Aww, look, you scared her," Came a voice from somewhere behind. 

I whirled around, coming face-to-face with a girl about my age who had thick brown hair braided into pigtails. "W-who are you?" I managed to stutter.

She smiled. "You may call me Chiharu, all of my friends do."

I smiled genuinely back. "Thank you."

"No need to explain who you are. With your emerald green eyes I could tell from a mile away! You are the Cherry Blossom, Sakura, from the Kinomoto tribe, right?"

I nodded. "Yep."

"Well, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Syaoran and Meiling speak a lot about you."

"Uh-oh." I stated, not liking the 'and Meiling' part.

"Don't worry, I don't judge until I meet a person, and the things she has said have gotten a lot better over the years."

"Whew," I muttered to myself. I turned back to the bot with blue eyes that matched his hair. "And you are?"

He grinned and Syaoran gave a snort. "Call me Eriol. Any friend of Syaoran's is a friend of mine!" 

"Th-thank you."

"Well, are we going to the horses or not?" Syaoran wanted to know. I quickly nodded my head and we headed in that direction.

"You, know," Yamazaki stated as he put a finger up in the air, "Horses were the first mammals on earth, and they used to only eat meat. Since they'd kill, God punished them and now they stand on four feet and only eat grass and hay, serving the humans."

"Yamazaki…" Chiharu warned.

"Speaking of humans," he continued, but suddenly stopped when Chiharu smacked him up-side the head. 

She sweat dropped. "Sorry about that. He lies… _a lot!" _

I blinked over at her. "That was a lie?" I asked.

Syaoran looked from one to the other, clearly have believing it as well.

Both Eriol and Chiharu sweat dropped as Yamazaki rubbed the large bump on his head. "Yes." She answered. "That was a lie."

"Oh," was all I could manage, still thinking about it.

"May we join you at the stables?" Eriol asked.

"No," Syaoran spat at the same time I chirped, "Yes!"

We looked at each other, Syaoran scowling and me confused. Why wouldn't he want his friends along?

"Thank you!" Chiharu exclaimed, a wide smile on her face as she looked in my direction. 

It appeared that none of them paid any attention to Syaoran as he growled, glaring at the dusty ground while they trailed behind.

"So what do you mainly do for fun around here?" I questioned, looking at Chiharu since she seemed to most out spoken of the small group.

She grinned. "Horse-back riding, swimming in the river, hunting, archery, stone ball, and many other things. Some times we have festivals at night, and those are _really _fun! We dance around a bon fire while cooking wild boar and a certain group of people do the Feather dance. They wear masks with feathers and a special outfit just for the dance. Everyone watches as they dance in sync, none of them stepping off beat to the drums of missing a movement. It's quite breath-taking actually."

"Wow," I breathed. "We have something close to that that we call Night of the Rose. It has to do with…with all of our deceased loved ones." Seeing their expressions sadden I quickly added, "But we aren't supposed to be sad or depressed about it. It's a night where we celebrate and thank god for allowing those people to come in our life. We think of only the happy memories, and we dance, have a great feast of sweet breads and fruit of every kind. Everything id delicious! Some of the vegetables could be better though. It's also a time to think of love and happiness, so we don't only dwell on the past, but on the future as well. That's why we call it Night of the Rose. Roses are a variety of different colors and they all bloom at different times. That signifies the differences between people. The red rose symbolized the blood of the dead that will always be remembered, and the white rose signifies a new beginning of love and a long life. The other colors are for different things, it's hard to explain them all. I love celebrating it though. Everyone is always so happy. Last year Tomoyo…my cousin, and myself got to perform the White Rose ceremony. It's a soft dance that's very quiet, with slow deliberate movements in time with the other. Only two people dance together, mimicing the other with opposite movements. I had always longed to do it, and finally…last year, I received my chance, along with my very best friend."

"Wow," Chiharu breathed. "I wish I could have seen it. You should see _Syaoran _dance though! He has to perform the eagle dance every year. Actually, I think it's coming up soon, isn't it, Eriol?" She pointedly ignored Yamazaki as he opened his mouth, and the face-fell when she said Eriol's name instead.

I glanced at Syaoran's direction and he ducked his head, not looking in anyone's direction as his face took on a bright shade of read. I frowned and looked up at the sun. It wasn't _that _hot today, but he should really watch out for himself. Sunburns hurt, especially if you stay out too long.

"Yes. As a matter of fact, the festival shout be taking place in a matter of weeks. You better start practicing, Syaoran," he smirked. "I wonder if Sakura will be captured again by that time."

Syaoran glared. "Even if she was, she wouldn't be allowed to leave the tent to come and see it!" He snapped, face getting brighter by the minute. 

I looked at him in concern. "Syaoran, are you sure you're alright? You don't have a fever…do you? My aunt taught me medicinal herbs…" 

I placed a hand on his forehead and he automatically flinched, backing away. "I'm fine!" He shouted, not making eye contact. 

Eriol chuckled, receiving a hard glare from his blushing companion. I tilted my head to the side, wondering what was going on.

"We're here!" Chiharu stated, trying to break the tension by changing the topic. "Oh, look! Naoko is here!" She ran ahead, into the wooden stable and rushed to a girl with thin, short dark brown hair. "What are you up to?" She asked conversationally.

Naoko smiled. "I was just saying hi to Peachblossom, here. The tribe elder is sick of telling me stories I think. Either that or she has run out of them," she added sheepishly.

Chiharu laughed. "Soon you'll be the one telling all the stories. You may have to make them up as well!" Her friend teased. "Oh, right! Naoko, this is Sakura of the Kinomoto tribe. Sakura, this is my friend Naoko. She's really in to scary stories."

My smile faltered at that. Did she say…s-s-sc-scary…stories?

"Hi." She said quietly.

"H-h-hi," I replied, more nervous than I had hoped for.

Suddenly she wasn't so shy anymore as her eyes napped open. She must have gotten an idea of some kind. "Hey! You're from a different tribe… do you know any scary stories that we may not know?" She leaned forward eagerly in anticipation, a huge smile on her face.

"Uh…um…n-n-not _sc-scary _stories. I'm sorry."

Her face fell, defeated. "Ah, that's all right. Maybe one day _I _could get captured." She sighed blissfully as her eyes stared off into a far-off place, clasping both of her hands together. "I can see it now! I'm traveling all alone…in the woods. I'm lost, and afraid. Suddenly, when I think all hope is lost… a branch snaps from behind! I whirl around only to realize that I'm surrounded, trapped in the middle of all these strong warriors as they close in on me! I scream!"

"AHHHH!" I clasped both hands over my mouth, eyes wide in fright. Had that just come out of _my _mouth?

Everyone turned to blink at me. I tried to smile in reassurance, but couldn't. How could someone make me terrified of my _own _tribe?!? 

"Don't mind her," Chiharu said with a wave of her hand. "She gets like that sometimes."

I hadn't realized Naoko was still chattering away in a slow, low, mysterious voice, giving me the creeps. 

"And then I'll learn a bunch of stories from the elder who sneaks in to sustain me and keep me alive, bringing food and putting herself in danger on my behalf. When I had just about given up, my love will come for me, trotting on a beautiful white mare. He'll shed blood for me, and rescue me, taking me back to my rightful tribe. And we'll live happily ever after, all of the tribe's children wanting to hear my story over and over as I grow old." There were stars in her eyes, which were quite freaky now that I came to think about it. I shivered. She looked like Tomoyo who had just made yet another outfit for me to try on. I _still _didn't know where she got all that material from. She made me this dear skin skirt and we never even ate any dear! I wonder if she traded for it…

"Didn't you want to see thunderbolt?" Syaoran asked, bringing me out of my reverie.

"Hm?" I asked, looking into his expectant gaze. "Oh! Yes, please."

He motioned me to follow with his hand. "This way."

The others followed, talking softly behind us as Yamazaki suddenly got hit over the head again. I shook my head. Why did she hurt him? He was only talking about how horses lost all their color, and that was why they turned white. I didn't know it was because they stayed out in the sun all day long. Mentally, I shrugged. Oh, well.

"Here we are," Syaoran said, motioning to an ebony horse with a light white star on its forehead. He snorted air out through his nostrils, shaking his head and swishing his tail. He was beautifully handsome. Strong, probably the fastest of the whole tribe's. You could tell Syaoran must have taken him out at least three times a day. I gave a low appreciative whistle. 

"Well, aren't you the stud?" I asked, holding out my palm for him to smell and hopefully accept. When he blew air out once again I smiled. "You are _definitely _a good boy, now aren't you?" I turned to look at Syaoran and smiled. He looked at his horse with pride, which made me frown, but I quickly replaced it with a smile. Why shouldn't he be prideful? It took a lot of work to have a horse in as good a shape as this. I ran my hands up and down the length of Thunderbolt's legs, then checked his teeth.

"Wow," I said after a while. "I can't find one thing wrong with this horse! There isn't even a blemish on its coat!"

Syaoran grinned widely. "Let's just say I spend most of my time with him. He's my hunting horse, and he's one of my best friends."

I smiled truthfully this time. "I can tell."

He cleared his throat as the room grew silent. "Uh… didn't you want to see IceStar?" He asked a little uneasily.

"Yeah!"

Again the others followed us, once again talking away. "I should show you _my _horse," Chiharu was saying. "It's a gray mare. She's really quite lovely actually."

I nodded. I'd like to see all of the horses if they didn't mind. I loved them, as they could tell.

"She's a beauty too," Naoko commented. "IceStar and Peachblossom have the same father. Peachblossom is more of a red though, were IceStar is more of a golden."

"Wow, she _is _a beauty, isn't she?" I said, knowing right away which one IceStar was. I hadn't seen her for about a year now, and boy had she grown. "Come here, gorgeous," I called quietly, holding my hand out to her and clicking softly. _I hope she remembers my scent, _I thought briefly as she hesitantly made her way in my direction.

After sniffing my hand for what seemed like forever, I was starting to get a little antsy. She was _big _and _strong, _and there wasn't much between us that kept us separated. When she finally accepted me I sighed in relief, moving my hand up to run it down her long nose. 

"What have you been up to for the past year?" I asked softly, and she whinnied in reply.

"Her mother died," came a sad, yet harsh voice from behind. 

I yanked my hand away from IceStar and spun around, as did the others. Meiling stood their with a scowl on her face, but the pained expression eased the tension in the room.

"O-oh. I'm sorry, truly. I didn't know."

She sighed, averting her gaze as she nodded glumily. "It was a few months ago, but I know she can tell. She hasn't gone running with her mother for a while, and it's making her sad and depressed."

Curiosity got the best of me. Again. "What happened?"

"She died after giving breach birth," Naoko answered softly, her eyes also saddening. It was hard loosing a horse. They were like family to both the Kinomoto tribe _and _the Li tribe. Even more so for the Li tribe. They worked side by side with their horses, they fought together…they survived together. They hunted together, and relied on each other. That's why it was sad. Also, horses could sense when something was wrong, and can often go into a depression if things didn't start to get better. I knew how serious this was for all of them.

"I'm sorry," I repeated, not knowing what else to do. "Is the colt alright?"

"It's a girl," Meiling answered back, gaining a hard edge to her voice. "Its name is Buttercup, but I don't know if she's going to make it. If she doesn't… then things will be even harder for IceStar. I'm worried. If she stops eating or something because she's so sad…"

"Where is she?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing if they would allow me to see her.

Meiling regarded me with narrowed eyes. "I've been doing everything I can to help her, what makes you so sure you can save her."

I shook my head. "I just wasn't to see her."

After a heavy silence she finally relented. "She's in the back. Follow me."

We all followed silently, suddenly aware of the horses near-by being silent as well, as if they could tell. Towards the back of the stable, near the exit that had one large door open to emit light inside, was a pen filled with hay in one corner, where a thin Buttercup lay, her side heaving with every gulp of air she inhaled and then exhaled. Her eyes were open, but they were glassy, and roaming every which-way like a wild creature, afraid, and knowing death was close by. I sucked in a breath of shock and pity. It was worse than I had thought.

"Have you gotten her to feed? She needs milk desperately."

"I know. She won't accept any from us. We made a water-skin just for her and filled it with milk, but she spits the mouth of the bottle out of her mouth. She's scared, and weak. It's horrible." Meiling slammed a fist against the wood of the door. "It's not fair! Everything depends on her living, and it's as if she's already given up!" She had tears in the edges of her eyes. Everyone looked at her with sadness and pity.

"Hey, what's going on in here? You kids shouldn't be playing so close to the horses." A tall man entered through the back exit of the stable, a frown etched in his face. "These horses are important, and I don't want you startling them, you hear?" He growled out. Everyone tensed, staring up at the familiar man with wide eyes. He turned his disapproving scowl to the half-alive Buttercup and shook his head. "She's not going to make it. I'll have to take her out tomorrow if I have time."

Syaoran had tensed long before he said that, and now his hands fisted at his sides as he glared menacingly at the man before him. Meiling gasped, her eyes widening in shock and fear, yet horror and anger were the most evident, then disbelieving. "No! Uncle Ling—"

He shot her a warning glare as he tensed, fist for being contradicted, and second for being called uncle.

"I-I mean, _Chief, _please wait a few more days. A week! I still think that if I can get her to drink—"

"What makes you think the damned beast will drink _now _after you've been trying to get her to for more than a _month?!? _No! I'll have my way and that _horrid _creature will be killed on at the most… two days time! As soon as I have time to deal with the beast, I'll get rid of it!"

"No!" She cried out desperately, causing his face to go red in anger.

"You _dare _disobey _me _girl? You must learn to respect your _elders! _I am _chief _of this tribe and what 

I say goes, you understand?!? Now get out of my face before I _make _you respect me!"

She ran from the room, hands fisted in anger as her two long ponytails streamed out behind her. Chief Ling snorted, then smirked, knowing he had the upper hand. Syaoran looked about ready to murder the guy.

"As for you _nuisances… _he continued, looking us over with a crucial gaze. I gulped, paling and wishing I could back away. I edged behind Syaoran a bit, deathly frightened. If he saw me…

Too late. 

His eyes met mine and recognition triggered in his eyes immediately. "You!" He snapped, eyes hardening in pure anger and hatred. "What are _you _doing here? You're a prisoner!" He leapt in my direction, about ready to strike me down or grab me, I wasn't sure. I squeaked and did the one thing I always did.

Run.

Well, do you like this chapter? I hope so! Hurry up and review, okay?!? If I get a ton of REALLY GOOD reviews I'll try to up-date this week! Wouldn't you like that? It **IS** summer after all! ^______^ But I have to be in the mood, and what gets me in the mood? TONS AND TONS OF LONG REVIEWS!!!! THAT'S WHAT!!!!! ^______________________^ Yay!!! 


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